If you are thinking of selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to improve the overall impression made by your home.

But first, you must learn to look at your home through the eyes of the buyer.

As an integral part of my services I provide you with recommendation of changes that you can make to increase the value of your home. My Team also offers Home Staging Service prior to placing your home on the market. Most of the suggestions are no-cost or low-cost improvements and this early investment in your home’s appearance really pays off when selling your home.

1. Open the draperies, pull up the shades, and let in the sunlight.
2. Create a positive mood. Turn on all lights, day or night. Open the curtains during the day.
3. Install higher watt light bulbs to show your home brightly- in its best light. Turn on all lights.
4. Remove all clutter from each room to visually enlarge them.
5. Create the illusion of spaciousness.
6. If you have a fireplace, highlight it in your decorating and have it burning in the winter and on cool days. Keep it free of ashes when not in use and display logs in firebox.
7. Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times.
8. Have a family emergency “game plan” to get the home in order quickly if necessary.
9. Air out your home one half hour before the showing if possible.
10. Bake cookies before the buyers arrive. Microwave a small dish of vanilla extract before the showing and place it in an out of the way place in the kitchen.
11. Make sure that the beds are made and the linens and curtains are fresh and clean.
12. Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage or in under the bed storage containers. Create the feeling of spacious closets.
13. Bathrooms should always be kept spotlessly clean.
14. Do not leave towels around and wipe the shower areas after each use.
15. Recaulk if the caulking is not sparkling white!
16. Put out fresh towels and decorative soap for showings.
17. The kitchen should always be kept spotlessly clean. Remove all grease from range hoods, ovens, stovetops, walls, etc
18. Expand your counter space by removing small appliances.
19. Shampoo all carpets and vacuum them daily. If the carpet does not clean up well replace it!
20. Improve traffic flow through every room and create a feeling of spaciousness in every room by removing unnecessary furniture, knick-knacks, hobby items, children’s items, etc.
21. Try to avoid creating a “sterile” looking environment.
22. If you have numerous family photos put them away until your home is sold. Perspective buyers will feel more like it can be their home if they aren’t aware of your family photo memories.
23. Remove all unnecessary items from the attic, basement, garage, tool shed, and especially from the storage area if you have one.
24. Rent a storage area for those extra items or have a garage sale.
25. Fix the front doorbell. Buy a new doormat.
26. Make sure the front door, storm door, screen door, etc. work wonderfully!
27. Create a feeling of a spacious entry by using decorating accents, mirrors, rugs, etc. and by removing all unnecessary clutter.
28. Regardless of the season, tackle spring-cleaning. Clean everything in your home from top to bottom, from the attic to the basement!
29. Wash all windows, inside and out.
30. Clean all light bulbs, light fixtures and chandeliers to brighten the home.
31. Remove all smoke odours, pet odours, and odours resulting from hobbies.
32. Remove posters and adhesive from walls and doors and putty any holes resulting from nail or other mishaps and paint.
33. Depersonalize teenagers’ rooms and decorate in a neutral tones
34. All walls should be painted, if necessary, not just washed. This will brighten the home and make it look bigger.
35. Repair or replace all doors, closet doors, and/or windows and screens so that they open with ease. Repair or replace banisters and handrails.
36. Repair or replace broken tiles on walls, floors or in shower/tubs.
37. Repair or replace loose or dangling wallpaper.
38. If the basement shows any signs of water or structural damage it may be necessary to obtain a structural engineer’s report.
39. Replace all toilet bowls if you cannot get them spotlessly clean.
40. Replace all shower curtains and keep them clean.
41. Replace the washers in faucets and remove rust stains from basins.
42. Water and prune all plants.
43. Either get rid of dying plants or keep them out of sight.
44. Remove any excess extension cords or exposed wires.
45. Open doors to areas you want the potential buyer to see such as walk-in closets, pantries, attic, basement, etc.
46. Close all other closet doors and cabinets.
47. Make the most of your basements potential.
48. Make the basement as pleasant as possible by airing it out, and decorating if possible.
49. Add visual appeal to stairways, especially in unfinished stairways to the basement.
50. Keep the yard mowed, raked, fertilized and watered at all times!
51. Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, trash, etc. from the yard.
52. Trees and scrubs should be pruned and trimmed. Lawns and gardens should be weeded.
53. Use flowering plants to dress up the yard, walkways, and patio.
54. All hoses and garden equipment should be neatly out of sight.
55. Outdoor furniture should be kept clean and/or repainted if necessary.
56. Firewood should be neatly stacked or out of sight.
57. Mailboxes should be evaluated with a critical eye.
58. Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept and in good condition.
59. Paint all entrance doors.
60. In the summer create an outside living space with furniture and plants.
61. Highlight your pool area, water garden, etc. with lighting, benches, planters, flowering plants, etc.
62. Take pictures of your flowering mature landscaping now if you are planning to sell your home in the winter. Display these photos in your home in the wintertime.
63. Clean and shine all accessories (door knobs, knockers, lamps, mail boxes, address numbers, etc.)
64. Clean, repair and paint all gutters and downspouts.
65. All roof shingles, tiles, etc. should be secured or replaced. If the roof leaks, fix it!
66. Make sure the garage door opens easily. Fix and paint the garage door if necessary.
67. Replace broken bricks or stones on the chimney.
68. An investment in painting your home can really make the difference between “turning on” the buyer and sending up a red flag about the condition of the home.
69. In the winter make sure all driveways and walkways are clear of snow and well salted.

Some final things you can do to help your home sell quickly!

1. Arrive at a fair asking price using an appraisal.
2. Don’t be afraid to accept the first offer.
3. Never volunteer information.
4. Obtain a floor plan of your home if possible.
5. Assemble house records and cost of utilities.